Whole Foods, Body Image, and Social Media

Body Image

I assume I’m not alone when I say that sometimes, I can get caught up in “body image.” When I say body image, I’m literally talking about what my body looks like (usually) compared to others. I feel like I should know better than to compare myself to anyone else, but sometimes it’s damn near impossible not to. Those of you on social media, Instagram in particular, probably know what I’m talking about.

If you’re not on Instagram or not familiar, it’s great! By “great” I mean it’s a terrific time waster. It’s only photographs. Sounds basically like Facebook and in a way, it is, but it’s only pictures. It’s actually much more entertaining than it sounds.

Instagram is great for a lot of things but there is absolutely a large group of “fitness experts” who essentially only post pictures of themselves in their underwear with an inspiring quote underneath. It’s kind of ridiculous because it is so blatantly narcissistic. That being said, it’s hard not to compare what you see in the mirror, to people like that.

Focusing on Food

I’ve tried to start thinking about diet and body image differently. Instead of looking in the mirror and being discouraged with what I see, I’m going to try to steer away from that entirely by focusing on food.

Food, of course, can become an obsession too. I’m not counting calories or restricting myself to tiny portions, I’m simply going to focus on consuming whole foods. In my opinion, if I were only eating whole foods- fruits, vegetables, eggs, some dairy, lean meats, and fish- the body will take care of itself.

Plantains are my new obsession, by the way!

This also means no processed foods. That’s tough! It can be done, but it’s a hard one. I especially find it challenging when we are in the car (our drive is 50 minutes). Non-processed snack foods can be slightly complicated since one of my kiddos is pretty young (no choking hazards). I think in this case, food prep is key. I could make to-go snacks like chopped veggies and fruit, paleo pancakes, apple sauce, etc. So, it is possible, just more time consuming.

Kiddos

This kind of stems off the processed food bit. Even organic processed food is processed food. My kids both have trouble with constipation and I really want to fix that for them. It is quite possibly the most heart-wrenching site to watch my 16 month old cry because she’s trying to poop but can’t (sorry if that’s too much information, but she’s a baby. She’s cute even when she poops).

I feel like I’m doing my kids a disservice by feeding them foods with basically no nutritional value and that’s pretty apparent to me given their bowel issues.

When it comes to snacks and on-the-go meals, I’ll just need to plan and prep more in advance. When it comes to meals at home though, they are going to eat what the adults eat! I’ve fallen into a bad habit of making different meals for my kids because, mostly my three year old, is picky. I’ve decided though that she is old enough to eat what I eat. If she chooses not to eat it, then she can starve. So, obviously not really, I’m not going to starve my kids. But, she does need to learn that she can eat what her mom or dad made her for dinner. I think it’s important for her to be grateful for the meal that was made for her and not complain about it.

The Holiday’s

Holiday’s are challenging. I’m not going to worry too much about it though. Most days up until Christmas, we are at home so I really don’t have an excuse.

I think a key part to staying sane during the holiday’s is exercise. It can be super tough the closer you get to Christmas especially if you’re out of town visiting family. You need to keep a priority though! Whether that means working out early in the morning, going for a family run or hike (if you live in Arizona or California ha!), or simply setting aside 30 minutes of your day to dedicate to your workout. 30 minutes is not long, your family will understand!

Next Steps

The next step for me is to a.) unfollow some people on social media who only post half naked pics (I’m not being a hater, I just don’t get any value from them except their hot. Yep, you’re hot)., and b.) get educated.

I think I have a basic understanding of proper nutrition, but there is nothing wrong with seeking out more knowledge. I checked out a couple books at the library and am hoping I can get through each book. (I usually prefer audio books because I’m so tired at night I hardly read). Anyway, I’m excited to check these out! I will keep you posted on thoughts.

Oh, and c.) food prep!

I’m really just trying to keep it simple: eat whole foods. Use food to nourish and energize the body.

This post was sort of rantish. Sorry about that! If you read it all, thanks! If not, I forgive you. 🙂

What’s your take on whole foods? What about body image and social media?